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Category: Around The World

It’s To Hear What’s Going On In Our Country AND Also Places And Ventures Overseas Sometimes. Selective Are Chosen As This Website Is Mostly For /Australians. Cheers!

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A Recent ABC Article

The federal government has taken the first step towards introducing new fuel emission standards to get more electric vehicles into the domestic market, reducing price and emissions.

A number of Commonwealth, state and territory ministers will discuss the relatively slow take-up of electric vehicles in Canberra today, along with some of the biggest manufacturers and industry groups.

The Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Bowen, will soon release a discussion paper on bringing fuel standards into line with almost all other nations and ensure inefficient cars are not dumped in Australia.

"Every country except [us and] Russia has them and it does mean that we get sent substandard vehicles by manufacturers in relation to emissions, because other nations require the best emission vehicles," Mr Bowen told the ABC.

"What we're saying is now is the time to have a serious discussion about whether Australia should have fuel efficiency standards and how we should have them."

More than 80 per cent of the global car market now follows 'Euro 6' vehicle emission standards, including Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea, China, India and Mexico.

But Australia has resisted signing up to the standards, which would require more stringent restrictions on pollutants in petrol, and require new cars to emit far less particulate matter than currently allowed.…

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San Francisco. When the roads emptied of traffic in March and April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay Area residents reported hearing more birds—and they were halfway right.

Jennifer Phillips, a researcher at Cal Poly, and Elizabeth Derryberry, a professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, collaborated to evaluate whether and how songbirds responded to the quieter environment with much less traffic.

They compared the soundscapes and songs of the white-crowned sparrow recorded across the San Francisco area prior to and during the statewide shutdown.

“When I saw photos of an empty Golden Gate Bridge, it struck me just how little traffic there was,” said Derryberry, lead author of the study. “I realized we were in a unique position to look at how changes in human behavior might affect wildlife and what the noise reduction might mean for the songbird we study.”

The researchers found that the birds responded by producing softer songs that could travel over a larger distance, unimpeded by noise. The urban songs also became “sexier” in terms of vocal performance—meaning birds sang a wider range of notes in their song, in a wider bandwidth, during the shutdown.…

Published on Leave a comment on A Grass Native To Africa Could Transform The Continent Dairy Yields. Here’s How

The cows kept by small-scale farmers in Africa are notoriously unproductive. The average dairy cow, for example, produces about 540 litres of milk per lactation. By contrast, dairy cows in North America that belong to commercial or intensive farmers can produce up to 10,479 litres of milk per lactation.

Grass-Fed Is Always Better Than Grain-Fed
Brachiaria Is The Best For Dairy Farms

One of the main differences between the two animals lies in the quality of their feeds and forage. Simply put, the more nutritious cows’ diets are, the more and better quality milk they produce. And small-scale farms – of which there are about 33 million in Africa, contributing up to 70% of the continent’s food supply – usually cannot afford more nutritious feed.

Brachiaria – the genus name of Urochloa – consists of about 100 documented species of grass of which seven species used as fodder plants are of African origin. This grass may hold the key to improving milk yields from cows kept by small-scale farmers. Why is this an important goal?

First, it will help to meet rising demand for animal-sourced foods – like cow milk – as the continent becomes more urbanised and its population grows.…

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By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

DID YOU KNOW THAT 75% OF FOOD WORLDWIDE IS LIMITED TO 12 PLANT CROPS (and 5 animal foods) AND THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES......... MORE INTERESTING FACTS IN THIS POST, PLUS WHICH FRUITS AND VEGGIES THE AFORE MENTIONED ARE AND SOME INSIGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENCOURAGING BIODIVERSITY HERE IN AUSTRALIA. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I WILL ALSO MENTION SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE HAD IN OUR FOOD CULTURE IN RECENT DECADES AND RECENT TIMES, TO WHAT WE HAD YEARS AGO. I HOPE YOU READ THIS POST.

According to TheFutureMarket.Com  we only grow a small percentage of Plant Food Crops in Western Countries that does not allow for much Food Diversity in our Diet or our Health. As mentioned, they state that 75% of the World’s Food comes from 12 Plants (and 5 Animals).

In this order, the highest turnover of Plant Foods produced are 1. Sugar, 2. Corn, 3. Rice, 4. Wheat, 5. Potatoes,  6. Soya Beans, 7. Cassava, 8.Tomatoes, 9. Bananas, 10. Onions, 11. Apples and 12. Grapes. We eat only 150 out of 30,000 edible plant species (worldwide). For example, the USA has lost 90% of it’s Fruit and Veg varieties since 1900.…

Published on Leave a comment on How Is This For An Initiative? Take Two Carrots and Call Me in the Morning

By: Andy Hirschfield Sept 2020

DON'T MISS IT. THIS IS A GOOD INITIATIVE BECAUSE MANY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS START FROM A VERY POOR DIET THAT'S LACKING IN VITAL NUTRIENTS. OUR BODY AND BRAIN CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY INSULTS BEFORE THEY BREAK DOWN IN SOME WAY. CONGRATS TO THESE CARING WORKERS!

Good Old-Fashioned Produce To The Rescue - Nutrition Pays!

Since 2019, the VeggieRx produce prescription program in Chicago has offered food-insecure residents with diet-related illnesses free local produce every week. Patients receive prescriptions from Primary Care Physicians and Dietitians, and can pick up a weekly bag of fruits and veggies, as well as taking Cooking Lessons.

The program operates in the North Lawndale area of Chicago, where the diabetes mortality rate is 62 percent higher than the national average, and it played a key role in helping residents get access to fresh, whole foods before the pandemic. Over the last five months, however, it has seen a surge in demand.

“Prior to COVID, we had about 35 to 70 weekly boxes across our three locations — and now the sites are [serving] upwards of 130 to 160 boxes per week,” says Kris Delatorre, an urban farmer at Windy City Harvest, the organization that grows produce for the VeggieRx program at three farms throughout the city.…

Published on Leave a comment on Iceland’s Four-Day Working Week Trials An ‘Overwhelming Success’ Report Finds

Four Related Articles In This Post For Good Measure!

Trials of a four-day working week in Iceland have been lauded an "overwhelming success", with research revealing the initiative helped increase productivity, and led to an overall improvement in workers' wellbeing.

The trials, run by Reykjavík City Council and the Icelandic government, were held between 2015 and 2019, and ultimately included more than 2,500 workers — or about one per cent of Iceland's working population.

As part of the project, employees from a range of professions — including offices, kindergartens, social service providers and hospitals — moved from a 40-hour working week, to a 35 or 36-hour working week, but received the same pay.

Research into the trials, published this month by researchers from the UK think tank Autonomy and Iceland's Association for Sustainable Democracy (Alda), noted that following the trials' success, trade unions "achieved permanent reductions in working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country".

In total, roughly 86 per cent of Iceland’s entire working population has "now either moved to working shorter hours or have gained the right to shorten their working hours", the report found, adding that such reductions were won in contracts negotiated between 2019 and 2021.…

Published on Leave a comment on New Study: Gardening Twice A Week Improves Wellbeing And Cuts Down Stress

A new study reveals a significant association between gardening more frequently and improvements in wellbeing, perceived stress and physical activity.

The study from Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) surveyed more than 6,000 people, and results indicate that those who garden every day have wellbeing scores 6.6% higher and stress levels 4.2% lower than people who don’t garden at all.

Joys Of Gardening We All Can Experience -
Good For Our Health

RHS Wellbeing Fellow and lead author, Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui says; “This is the first time the ‘dose response’ to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden—the greater the health benefits.

“In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing as undertaking regular vigorous exercise like cycling or running.

“When gardening, our brains are pleasantly distracted by nature around us. This shifts our focus away from ourselves and our stresses, thereby restoring our minds and reducing negative feelings.”

Respondents who gardened 2-3 times a week had a 4.1% higher wellbeing score and 2.4% lower stress levels compared to people who don’t garden at all. However, gardening fewer than 3 times a month has less of a positive impact.…

Published on Leave a comment on Indian Man Opens ‘Rice ATM’ For People in Need–Using $75k Life Savings to Help Others

By Judy Cole Jan 2021

Ramu Dosapati earns his living as a corporate HR executive, but it’s the selfless spin he’s put on “human resources” in his private life that makes him truly remarkable.

Ramu Dosapati's Selfless Acts Toward His Fellowman Is So Refreshing To Hear About In A Selfish Generation Today.

In 2020, hardships brought on by heavy flooding and compounded by the added limitations of the COVID-19 lockdown left many migrant workers in the Hyderabad region of India stranded without means of support. Dosapati, who lives with his family there, has made it his mission to ensure the area’s struggling workers won’t go without food and other essential items.

To ease the migrant workers’ burden, Dosapati has spent ₹50 lakh of his own funds (close to $61,000) to establish and run a ‘Rice ATM’, doling out rice and other necessities 24 hours a day, seven days a week to those in need.

His first step along the road to altruism began simply enough, but he had no way of knowing then just how far his journey would take him, and the amount of good he would do along the way.

Dosapati had gone to the store to pick up the makings for his son’s birthday dinner.…

Published on Leave a comment on Scientists in Malaysia: Are Forgotten Crops The Future Of Food? BBC

Just four crops - wheat, maize, rice and soybean - provide two-thirds of the world’s food supply. But scientists in Malaysia are trying to change that by reviving crops that have been relegated to the sidelines.

Malaysian Scientists Intentions To Diversify Main
Food Crops

On a small fruit farm near the Straits of Malacca Lim Kok Ann is down to just one tree growing kedondong, a crunchy, tart berry that Malaysians mostly use in pickles and salads. “It’s not very well-known,” says the 45-year-old, who is instead focusing on longan berries and pineapples, which have bigger markets. For a smallholder like Lim, demand for kedondong would have to grow rapidly to justify scaling up his business. “We have to grow what is profitable,” he says.

But less than an hour away in the Malaysian countryside, inside three giant, sleek and silver domes, scientists are trying to change the future of food. They’re pushing the boundaries of what humans eat by growing and processing so-called ‘alternative’ crops – such as kedondong.

At the headquarters of global research centre Crops For the Future (CFF) this particular under-used fruit has been turned into an effervescent, sugar-free juice, high in vitamin C and getting top marks in sensory evaluations.…

Published on Leave a comment on Bionic Eye As Sensitive As The Human Retina May Give Sight to Millions

By Andy Corbley - May 30, 2020

Almost as sensitive as real human eyes, a recent paper in Nature published the trials of a bionic eye developed by a team of robotics engineers that could restore sight to an estimated 285 million blind people.

Bionic Eye To Restore Vision

Hypothesized to be available in 5 years the EC-EYE—short for ElectroChemical EYE—is inspired by the human retina, which is one of the most sensitive tissues we possess, providing up to 80% of all information about our surroundings. If you have been noticing any issues with you eye health, like dry eyes, then consider making an appointment for dry eye treatment as soon as possible. For those who stare at a computer screen for too long, consider trying out these Felix Gray glasses so you can have better eye care throughout the day.

The visual prosthetic developed by engineers from Hong Kong and the U.S. offers hope to the hundreds of millions of people around the world that have lost their ability to see due to things like age-related macular degeneration and BB gun accidents.

The bionic eye mimics the domed-shape of the human retina which sharpens the focus and reduces the spread of light as it passes through ten million photoreceptive cells per square centimeter.…